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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 12:18 am
by Tim Gaines
I think this is a very good topic, as it's so true. I can honestly say that after working at the park for about five months, my magic was dead. Of course my guest-service was still there, I simply no longer that that 'twinkle' in my eye that I had when I first began working there. At about five months I was fed up with the crap, tired of the guests and their attitudes, but no matter how many times I wanted to punch a guest in his throat and watch him bleed to death internally, I have to say my entire day was turned around when I could see young kids happy, simply happy to be in the magic that had left me. I stayed at the park for a little over a year and finally moved on, but just knowing you can truly make a young child happy for a day out of their life, thats a decent feeling. THAT'S worthwhile.

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2003 2:44 am
by Mansion_Boi
Well this one time about two or three years ago I was sweeping over in New Orleans Critter Country, I was the lead that day and was having an awful day, the only thing good about that day is that I was able to retrieve a tigger plush keychain that I had found like a month before. Anyways, Halfway through my day I was sweeping around the Haunted Mansion and this cute little kid is talking to his mom and he was so scared to go on, so I gave him my newly acquired Tigger keychain and told him that it had magical powers and that it made people not afraid anymore, he took it but I gave him one condition, once he was not afraid anymore he had to go and give it to someone else it didn't have to be that day but eventually he had to pass it along and he had to include the same condition. About a year later I was out sweeping in New Orleans Critter Country again and I hear my name being called out, so I turn around and look and look and finally this kid comes running up to me and gives me the biggest hug and asked me if I remember him, he had no hair this time around it looked liked he had shaved his head, either way I did kinda remember him it was the same little kid I gave the tigger keychain to about a year ago. So he calls his mom over and she shows up and he returned the the Tigger Keychain and told me that if I could give it to another kid who needed to not be afraid anymore, I said sure, his mom then explained to me that he had leukemia and he had just a few weeks left to live and he had wanted to return to Disneyland to give the tigger back to the guy who gave him the courage to not be afraid anymore, needless to say I was just about in tears, so I went and got him a few free things including a cut in line for Splash and a free Picture. I talked to them for about and hour and a half and then they left. About two weeks after that his mom returned and found me in Critter Country over by the Critter gate, I smiled when I saw her and expected to see her son somewhere around her soon,she walked up and began to cry and explained to me that he had passed away the night before 2 days before his 10th birthday, and she just wanted to say thank you for making him feel so special that day two weeks previous, that all he talked about on the way home and for a few days after was me and how nice I was, I actually still had the tigger keychain in my pouch, so I took it out and returned it to her and told her that now she needs it, to not be afraid. So i made her cry even more and I was not holding up to good either, I asked her if possible to include the tigger in his coufin and she told me that she would do it. I have seen her twice after that and everytime I see her we spend time and talk about how everything is going even if just for a few minutes.
I consider this to be the highest point in my Career here at Disneyland, and I know that it will never be topped, even though it had a sad ending I can't help but feel that I made his last few days a little happier

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2003 11:48 am
by Weeble
Crikey man....


Kudos bro, kudos.

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2003 1:49 pm
by Righthander
Good God! I think that's a movie my wife saw on the Lifetime Network. It made her :cry:

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2003 3:36 pm
by CujoSR
:cry: That's what it is really all about. I tip my hat to you sir. :D

Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2003 2:58 am
by Thatguy
yeah the kids are what made the job for me... I almost never would talk to an adult, or single them out for a joke in the jungle if there was a kid around

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2003 1:20 pm
by VonSeegs
Mansion_Boi- That is an incredible story. Thanks for that. You just made my day.

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2003 5:12 pm
by coldfire409
Mansion-boi,

That is such a sad ending to such a good story. It seems that most of the time the guests that are there for make a wish or something like that are usually the happiest. At least his last few weeks were good.

neon stickers

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2003 5:18 pm
by IndyBob
Thats is such a wonderful and touching story. When i use to work mansion, when then kids would make it up to the Foyer position and get freaked out, we would give them the neon yellow stickers we put on the buggies to distinguish it as a handicap or broken buggy. We would tell the kids that the ghosts are afraid of the yellow sticker and would stay away. Most of the time it worked. But it was no Plush tigger keychain. That is much nicer.

Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2003 9:20 pm
by wheelieman
^^That is incredible. I'm still crying about it a week after I read it for the first time. God Blessed you that day, Mansion Boi. Thank you for blessing US with that story.

Dave